Affection
by Alistair Lowary
Summary: A tale of fluff between Commander John Shepard and his beautiful quarian girlfriend, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. What was once a oneshot has turned into a multi-chapter story due to fan request. It's rated "T", and contains very occasional harsh language. The fic is set after the events of Mass Effect 2, and details the cuteness of life after the Collector Base. Enjoy!
1. Affection

A/N: So, I thought I'd make a cute little Tali/MShep fic, nothing major... I hope you guys enjoy!

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Affection

Alistair Lowary

It had been three days. Three days since she had gone up to his cabin, intent on sharing herself with him. Three days since she had revealed her face to another person for the first time. Three days since Shepard had assuaged her nervousness, since he had pressed his lips to hers. Three days since they had committed to each other fully. Three days since she'd come down with a nasty reaction from their union, though to her it had been totally worth it.

Tali yawned cutely, and turned to face the sleeping man beside him. She smiled as she heard his soft snore. He just looked so... so peaceful when he napped. Almost vulnerably, actually. The set, chiseled jaw he had while awake vanished in slumber, leaving a soft face that just seemed so innocent. His brow, which was always furled in determination whilst on the battlefield was relaxed. The quarian couldn't help but let out a soft giggle as he sniffled and buried his face into her neck.

She lazily drew a pattern on his chest with her finger, feeling the toned muscle beneath his shirt. She could also feel the scars, remnants of all the battles he'd fought. He never liked to talk about the older scars, so she'd never gotten to learn where they came from. She had never pressed the issue, though. She respected his privacy.

Tali suddenly felt a change in the position of the body next to her. A five-fingered hand grabbed her three-fingered one, and the digits intertwined. She looked at Shepard's face, and saw his ice-blue eyes staring into hers. His thumb massaged her hand, an almost purring sound escaped his lips as he felt her skin against his. He seemed far less intimidating when he was with her, and it made her blush slightly.

"Hey..." He said tiredly, bringing his free hand up to caress the side of her face. "How you feeling?"

"Better, I think..." She was quiet, almost as if she did not want to disturb his half-sleeping state. "These little bits of time I get to spend out of my suit really help, you know."

He smiled and kissed her cheek. "And what about our... other activities? Do they help at all?"

Her blush deepened, turning her pale purple cheek a darker shade of almost violet. "They're... accelerating the process. After each time, my immune system gets a little bit more used to you."

Shepard brought his lips from her cheek to her mouth, and pressed against her. She moaned quietly at the sensation, and pressed a little deeper into the kiss. "I'm... glad I could... help..." He murmured quietly as they breathed into each other.

Suddenly, he pulled away from her. Tali voiced some displeasure at this, and he just brought his index finger up and pressed it against her lips. "If I keep doing this..." He said reluctantly. "It'll help you become more adapted to me, but you'll get sick again. And you just got better, I... I don't want you to have to go through that again."

"Shepard..." Tali mewled impatiently, and kissed him hard. "Just shut up and kiss me."

He tried to protest, he knew she would feel ill soon. She was getting better, her system was adapting. She could be out of her suit in his sterilized cabin, but physical contact with him still took its toll on her. But she was kissing so slowly, and she tasted just so good. Far too good, actually. It was becoming harder and harder for him to maintain control, but eventually he won the battle. Shepard slowly pulled away from the kiss, gently grabbing Tali by the shoulders. "I'm not going to let you get sick again, Tali... we did this two nights ago, and last night. You need time to adapt."

She pouted cutely, her eyes were half-lidded with pleasure from the kiss. "Hmm... are you sure, Shepard?" She trailed a finger along his arm, causing him to have goosebumps.

"Pos... positive..." He managed to whisper. "Maybe in a couple days, after you get a bit more used to me..."

Tali sighed, and dropped her hand. It combined with her other hand, and she fiddled with her fingers a little bit. "Shepard, can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"On our first time, you were so passionate. It was the same with last night, too." She sighed. "Do you really care about my health that much, or did I do something to turn you away?"

He sat up in the bed, shock on his face. "What? No, no!" He pulled her hands apart and held them in his. "You didn't do anything wrong, Tali... I just want to make sure we take this in steps." He looked down in shame. "The past few nights, I was blind with lust. For you, just to touch you... Damnit, I still am... it's taking everything I've got to not jump you right now, and to hell with the consequences." He kissed the back of each of her hands and looked into her eyes. "But then I remembered what I told you, about wanting you to be safe... I remembered how nervous I was when you said that you could die from us being together... I don't want to tempt that. So yeah, I care about your health."

"Oh, Shepard..." She whispered, taking her arms and wrapping them tightly around him. "I didn't mean to... you're right... we should wait until I'm more adapted..." She pressed her face into his chest. "I was blind, too... When you spend your whole life in a suit, you tend to take every bit of time out of it as possible... but I don't want to die because of my desires. Besides, I've got the rest of my life to spend with you..."

Shepard ran his hand through her hair as she pulled away from the embrace. "I'll be yours, Tali... for as long as you'll have me. We've got years left for certain... other activities, so let's just focus on getting you healthy right now."

The quarian nodded, and settled back down into the bed. In a few hours, she'd have to get back in the suit again, let her body fight off the reaction from her time out of it. But for now, she was just going to lie here with her boyfriend... her human boyfriend. And as Shepard lowered himself next to her and wrapped a possessive, muscular arm around her and pulled her closer to him, she couldn't help but smile. His reassurance that he'd be with her for as long as she'd have him made her feel warm, loved, cared for. It was a good feeling.

"I love you, John'Shepard vas Normandy..." She whispered in his ear, only to find that he had already drifted into slumber. She reached down and grabbed the hand on her stomach, and squeezed it gently. "Good night, Shepard..."

And then she joined him in blissful slumber, her mind filled with pleasant dreams.

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Please leave a review, or send me a PM and tell me how you're doing! I love hearing feedback from my fans. Tell me in the reviews if you want another chapter in this story, because I've got a few ideas, and I'd like to give you some halfway decent stories. Allons-y!


	2. I'll Love You, Regardless

A/N: Wow, two chapters in one day... I'm surprised at myself. Well, what reception I got for this story within the first twenty minutes of its posting was fairly positive, so I'll assume the majority of you guys enjoyed it. Anyway, here's the second chapter. Allons-y!

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I'll Love You, Regardless

Alistair Lowary

The quarian slowly rose from her slumber, her eyes opened to the soft lights above the bed. Last night's sleep was the best she'd had in ages, possibly in her life. It was all thanks to her boyfriend, who was content to lie with her and cuddle her for as long as she wanted. He was the reason she had such a wonderful night, and he was the reason that her nights only continued to get better.

She turned her head slowly to face the human, who was still snoring ever so slightly. The way he looked in his slumber... it was just so cute to her. She wasn't used to seeing her captain like this, with his guard down. He was completely vulnerable, and she couldn't help but blush when she realized that Shepard actually trusted her enough to do that, to leave himself completely open to anything. Safe in the knowledge that she would protect him, perhaps? Maybe, but it was much more likely that he knew he could implicitly put his life in her hands, and she would do anything to keep it safe.

Tali found herself gently stroking the sleeping man's arm, her purple skin contrasted against his peach. Her three fingers traced a path around some of his scars, and a few of them seemed to pulse with faint orange light, she realized that they must have been leftover markings from his "rebirth". A frown crossed her face at the memories that flooded her mind. Shepard had died, and she had never even had a chance to tell him how she felt. Then, when he had come back at Freedom's Progress, when he had just bumped into her, she had been so cold to him. Part of her had still wanted to believe that he was dead... it would have been preferable to knowing that he was alive and working for one of her people's most avowed enemies.

But that was all behind her now... any fears she had possessed had been wiped away after he came to her rescue on Haestrom, after he had found her injured and near death in the observatory. After he had put his hand on hers and told her it would be all right. After he had stayed with her for two days in the _Normandy_'s sick bay, never once leaving her side. He hadn't even gone on a single mission until she'd gotten better, and even then he didn't go on long ones in case she were to need him for something. And then there was the trial, where he defended her against charges of high treason, where he had embraced her after she had found her father's body. No, Shepard was not a Cerberus tool, he was Shepard... commander of the galaxy's finest military vessel, and one of the sweetest, most caring men she'd ever had the honor of knowing.

She sighed sweetly and caressed the side of the still sleeping man's face. His nose twitched, but he did not wake up. Truth be told, it was slightly frustrating. She would have to go back into her suit in just a few minutes, and she wanted him awake so that he could tell her how beautiful she was before she did it. It was a selfish thing to do, but she needed him to do it. Tali knew that his soft compliments assuaged the lack of self-confidence she had whist in her suit. "_Come on, bosh'tet... wake up."_

She withdrew her hand from his face and breathed softly against his cheek. She hoped that the small breeze would stimulate his senses and wake him from his sleep. It worked, to a degree. He sniffled a bit, and grunted softly, bringing his own fingers up to brush the side of his face. He then proceeded to curl his arms around his chest, and he went straight back into deep slumber.

Tali grumbled quietly. She had never had this much trouble getting him to wake up before. Eventually, she just decided to go for the more straightforward route, something that would most certainly wake him up. "Shepard?" She asked faintly, in her sweetest voice. She knew he couldn't resist waking up when he heard her, and much as she anticipated, his eyes opened ever so slowly, turning to face her own.

"Hey, Tali..." He let out a yawn, and gave his most charming smile. "Good morning... did you sleep well?"

She grinned back at him and nestled into the crook of his neck, wrapping her arms around his body. "When you're with me, I always sleep well."

"Good..." Shepard took her chin and lifted it so that she was looking at him. He gently pressed his lips to hers, and his tongue ran along them, though it did not demand entrance. It was a simple, satisfying kiss that spoke novels of love and sweetness without ever saying a word. She felt as if she could've lost herself in the moment, the same with every kiss he'd ever given her. But she was eventually forced to pull away, she did need to breathe, after all.

She looked at him, hints of reluctance crossed her face. "I... I guess I had better put my suit on. The antibiotics I took will wear off soon, and I'm going to have to deal with my reaction from... from you."

As if sensing the sadness in her voice, the man took her hand and kissed the back of it gently. "Don't worry... you'll get out of it again soon. Just as soon as you get over your sickness, we'll get that suit off of you and you can spend some time here in bed with me."

"You promise?" Tali asked, though she already suspected the answer she would get.

In response, Shepard wrapped his arms around her and claimed her in a deep, passionate kiss. All of her sadness melted away as he pressed his lips firmly against hers. One last time, she opened her mouth, and allowed his tongue to enter. His embrace tightened, and he poured so much emotion into his kissing that she felt as if she could cry. Eventually, he backed away. After a few short breaths, he looked into her shining white eyes and smiled. "I promise."

I promise. Once he had said those words, she knew it would be all right. She completely hated her suit, hated being trapped in it and unable to feel him when they cuddled, hated the impossibility of a simple kiss. But when he said those two words, when he said he promised, she knew there was nothing to worry about.

"You know, I tell you this a lot, but I just can't stop saying it. I love you, Shepard. So, so much." Tali sighed and rose slowly from the bed, beginning to walk around and collect the pieces of her environmental suit. She felt a pair of eyes resting on her body, and she could feel the wonderfulness radiating from them.

"I love you too, Tali. Just as much... just as much." She could her him mutter something to himself, and when she turned around she could see the longing in the man's eyes. "Just... just get over your reaction soon, all right?" He asked quietly, giving her beautiful body one last look-over. "Captain's orders."

"Aye aye, sir..." She replied playfully, giving (what she hoped was) a sultry smile. "Anything for you, my commander."

And so she proceeded to put on her suit, a process that took several long minutes and was actually too complex for Shepard to help with (something he vowed he would learn). After what seemed like an eternity, she stood before him, his gorgeous face once again obscured by the purple fog of her visor. She sighed, wringing her hands together. "Well, I'll see you in a couple of days... well, not a couple of days, you'll be around the ship... just... you know what I mean."

Shepard chuckled, placed his hands in hers and kissed the top of the visor, leaving a lip print there that would take near to half an hour to get off completely. But perhaps she'd just let it stay there, a reminder of just how much he loved her, with or without the mask.

"Let's go, Miss vas Normandy." The man gently guided her toward the door. "I've got a ship to run, and you've got some engineering diagnostics to perform. So let's get to it, shall we?"

"Yes, sir!" She chirped happily, bouncing on her toes. Perhaps being in the suit wouldn't be so bad, now that she knew that she had Shepard's love whether she was in it or not.

"Go,d you're beautiful..." Shepard replied, wrapping a hand around her waist and pulling her out the door. They quickly entered into the lift, and the stainless steel doors slid shut behind them. They had a long day to face, but they knew that so long as they would see each other at the end of it, it couldn't possibly be a bad one.

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Well, what'd you think? Feel free to drop off a review and let me know if you'd like to see this story continued. Or PM me and let me know how you're doing, I always love hearing from my fans. Well, until next time, guys! Allons-y!


	3. The Gardens of Nos Astra, Part I

The Gardens of Nos Astra

Alistair Lowary

"You want to take me where?" Tali asked, both her jaw and her eyes were open wide in shock and disbelief.

"The Gardens of Nos Astra." Shepard repeated calmly, though he had a smile on his face. "It's down on Illium, it's a nice little..."

"I - I know what it is, Shepard!" She interrupted, her hands wringing together. "It's the most expensive and upscale restaurant in the galaxy!" She stumbled over her next words, her nervousness clearly increasing. "Shepard, I can't - I mean you don't have to - you don't have to spend so much on..."

"Relax, Tali... I want to take you someplace nice... you deserve it." Shepard tried to assuage her fears, but it was useless. She began to shake visibly.

"But what if they don't serve people like me? Quarians, I mean. What if they order you to leave for bringing me in there? I - I mean Illium isn't the best place in the Terminus Systems for quarians to visit, there's a lot of racism there against my people, and..."

"Tali." Shepard simply said her name, slowly and clearly with a lot of love in his voice. She couldn't help but look up at him, and though her heartbeat was still beating fast with nervousness, there was something about him staring back at her that calmed her. "Tali, they won't kick you out of anywhere. I'm Commander Shepard, I saved the galaxy twice now. So long as you're with me, they'd step out of your way and lay rose petals at your feet if I asked them to."

She breathed deeply and nodded, pressing her face against his chest and wrapping her arms around him. He gently rubbed her back. "I know you're not used to people treating you this nicely... that you've spent your whole life with people treating you and your people like crap, but... but that's going to change, baby girl. I promise you, that'll change."

Tali stood there for a minute, embracing the man she loved. He was right. For so long, she'd been kept out of nice places simply because of her species. Quarians weren't accepted in the more expensive areas of cities, they were expected to remain confined to the lower-quality slums, or onboard the ships they had arrived on. But now he was here, and though she was worried about the kind of treatment she'd receive at the restaurant, she knew that Shepard would always defend her.

"So... do you still want to go?" Shepard asked, his hands wrapping even tighter around her back.

"Yes, yes I do.." She replied, wishing she could just take her mask off and kiss him, repay him for the love he had for her.

They remained in their embrace, breaking only for a moment so that Tali's captain could ask the pilot for an ETA on Illium. As soon as he gave it, they returned to hugging each other. The quarian smiled as she stood wrapped in his arms. But a thought crossed her mind, a question that she felt she should ask. "Shepard?" She inquired, looking up at her lover.

"Yes?" He met her eyes.

"Would you do it? Would you actually tell them to put flower petals at my feet when we walked in?"

He chuckled for a moment, then took her hands in his and squeezed them lightly. "Yeah, I would."

"I love you, John Shepard."

"I love you, too." He pulled away from her embrace. "Now, Joker says we'll be at Illium in about twenty minutes, so I think we'd better prepare, don't you? Why don't we go up to my quarters so I can dress and..." He paused, trying to think of something for Tali to do. She didn't change her suit, she didn't have to do her hair. He finally settled on an answer. "You can watch me get dressed." He smirked playfully.

"Ooh. Yes, captain." She giggled, taking him by the hand and leading him toward the elevator.

As they ascended to the cabin, she had one thing on her mind. Well, two things. The first was watching her boyfriend change, obviously. The second was far more thoughtful. She was awestruck by his commitment to her. She knew he loved him, but to go this far for her was something nobody else had ever done for her, nobody else had ever cared enough. She smiled, for she could barely wait for the coming evening. It would be a night to remember.

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_Illium - 1840 Hours_

The sun had begun setting by the time _Normandy _docked, and within a few minutes the crew had dispersed off of the ship, anxious for some shore leave. It had been four days since they had finished their suicide mission, and this was the first planetside relaxing opportunity since then. Shepard remained near the dock, his right arm wrapped around a certain quarian's waist. Her head rested against his shoulder, and she sighed contently. This was it, her first public date with her boyfriend. She didn't know how it would go, but thanks to Shepard's calming reassurances, she had a feeling she would enjoy it, no matter what.

"Keelah, my father would have hated this." She chuckled as the two of them watched the sunset.

"Oh? How so?" Shepard asked, curiosity evident in his tone.

"I'm going on a date with my boyfriend. My human boyfriend." She shook her head. "Did I ever tell you how much my father disliked humans?"

"No, I don't think you did..." He shook his head, and then glanced at the watch hidden under his jacket's sleeve. He muttered something about the cab being late, but then just sighed. "Damn taxi service... how about you tell me about him while we wait?"

"He was your standard quarian admiral." She explained. "He thought humans were a wasteful species, and he especially hated the term your people came up with to describe us... suit-rat. At first he didn't know what a rat even was, but he found out soon enough. He would go on hour-long rants about humans before I went on my pilgrimage."

Shepard frowned, and pulled her closer to him. "Human racism... it never seems to die." He sighed. "I wasn't even aware we had coined that term... I thought it came from the turians, or some other species that had been around longer than us."

She shook her head sadly. "No... your people invented it, unfortunately."

A thought crossed his mind, and he turned his head to face her. "What did your father say when you told him you were serving on a human ship? You know, after you started on your pilgrimage? Did you even tell him?"

"Of course I told him. I told him about everything that I encountered on my travels. I got a reply within ten minutes..." She sighed sadly, and shook her head. "By the length of his rant, I think it took him about that long to compose it."

"He was livid, huh?"

"Like you cannot even imagine."

Shepard kissed the top of her helmet, right over her hood. "At least I'm glad you served under me. I wouldn't have ever found Saren if it hand't been for you."

Tali giggled, but then sniffled a bit. "After he sent me the message... I - I knew I would have to face him eventually." She shuddered slightly, the memories were unpleasant. "That's why I asked you if I could stay on the _Normandy, _so that I could just travel with you a while longer before I had to go back. But then you - and the Collectors..."

She sniffled again, and again before she broke down into soft, quiet sobs. "Shepard, I never got a chance to tell you how I felt about you before you died... and then - then I had to go back home and face my father, and I had to tell someone and I accidentally told him... I - I let it slip, Shepard, and he..." She looked up at him, tears flowing freely down her face. "He hit me, Shepard... he called me a foolish girl, he told me that I brought shame upon our entire clan. He threatened to disown me and exile me from the fleet."

Shepard's jaw clenched, and he looked straight out of the docking bay's windows toward the setting sun. "He hit you." He whispered under his breath, as if he knew he would explode if he dared say it any louder. "He hit you." He repeated, and she nodded. He stood there for a minute, trying to process what he had just heard. Then, out of nowhere, he spoke. "Bastard's lucky I was dead when it happened. Lucky he's dead right now."

"Shepard... please don't talk like that... he was my father..."

"He hit you, Tali!" Shepard finally shouted, whirling around to face her. "For loving someone, for being happy, for fuck's sake! You never deserved that, Tali. You... Yeah, maybe he was your dad, but good fathers don't hit their children, ever! Especially not you. Not ever you..."

Tali stood, unsure of what to say. She saw his point, but Rael was her father, she was supposed to respect him. She felt Shepard wrap his arms around her and pull her into a tight, possessive embrace. And then she felt something that she never thought she'd feel. She felt his chin rest atop her head, and a droplet of water fall onto her hood. Then another, and another. She felt a sob in his chest as he tried to pull her closer.

"I'm sorry, Tali... I should have been there for you... I should have defended you... I just... I love you so much, and the thought of you going through that with your father, it... I'm so, so sorry..." He cradled her in his arms, continuing to sob. "I love you..." He said, repeating it over and over again. "I love you, I love you..."

The two stood there for minutes on end, until the sun set and they were basked in the moonlight. They didn't say a word, they just let their tears run until there were none left to shed. And when the skycar finally arrived, they climbed in and headed for the restaurant. They were deathly quiet for the first few minutes of the ride, until Tali decided to speak.

"Shepard?"

"Yeah?" He asked, his voice hoarse from crying for so long.

"Let's just have a good time, shall we?" She asked, grabbing and squeezing his hand. "We set out to have a happy night, why don't we do just that?"

Her captain nodded, smiling slightly. He leaned toward the front seat. "Excuse me, driver... how long until we get to the place?"

"Given traffic conditions, about five minutes, sir." The driver, a salarian, replied.

Shepard leaned back, and put his communication device into his ear. He pressed a few buttons on his omni-tool, then sat there for a moment while it rang, all the while giving a subtle smile toward Tali's direction.

"Hello, Gardens of Illium? Yeah, this is John Shepard, I have a reservation..." He paused for a few moments, waiting for the clerk to respond. "I'd like to ask a favor... I'd like you to place rose petals on the floor, leading from the doorway to our table. Can you do that?" He paused again. "Well, then tell your boss to get it done. Thanks."

He turned off the omni-tool, then looked over at his quarian girlfriend. "We're gonna have a good time, I promise. And no foul memories of mean fathers will change that."

She snickered, then cuddled into his side. "I can live with that, Shepard. I love you."

"And I love you too, my angel."

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Chapter End Notes: Oh. My. God. That was such a long chapter, and I swear I never intended for it to go in this direction. I mean, I intended for them to go on a date, and they still will, of course they will. I never intended the conversation, though. I just wrote it as it came to me. Anyway, please leave a review if you liked it, or PM me and tell me how your day's going. Do you want me to keep the story going? Also, take my poll that I put up on my profile!

The next chapter's in development, called "The Gardens of Nos Astra, Part II". Stay tuned for more content, plus the actual date itself. Allons-y!


	4. The Gardens of Nos Astra, Part II

A/N: Welcome to another chapter of Affection. Before you begin reading the story, I'd like to explain something. The last chapter was supposed to have Shepard and Tali's date in it, but it went off on a completely different tangent. I had no idea that I was even going to write that sad conversation, and I actually intended for them to just have a happy, cute, fluffy chat while they waited for their cab. I just hope I didn't leave you all too depressed in a fic that's supposed to be about love and happiness.

And just one more thing, I can already sense this story developing some semblance of plot. I already have ideas for a prequel oneshot, and I can feel some connection between chapters here in this story. Is that all right with you guys? I mean, I did promise a story with no set plot. Send me a message and tell me... let's try to keep the review section just for reviews.

And with that, let's begin reading. I hope you enjoy the story, and I look forward to hearing your feedback. Allons-y!

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The Gardens of Nos Astra, Part II

Alistair Lowary

The cab ride was fairly quiet, and there was only moderate traffic. About halfway to their destination, their salarian driver had explained his late arrival, taking time to preach about how 'tardiness was not the policy of the Nos Astra Taxi Company', and how he hoped that the duo would utilize their services again, despite his delay. Shepard had just chuckled, and had told the driver not to worry about it, that he'd still receive a tip. He seemed fairly relaxed throughout their journey, quite different from the way he'd been acting not five minutes ago.

Tali's emotions, however, were quite different. She was (understandably) a little shaken on Shepard's words about her father, and she didn't like it when he was angry about anything. Cuddling next to him in the back seat had calmed her, though, and she no longer felt fear toward him. That fear had instead been replaced by another emotion, excitement. Complete, wonderful excitement at the night that lay before her. Shepard had called the restaurant, and had done the one thing that she thought he had only been joking about. He had demanded rose petals lead them to their table. She giggled, he could be so romantic sometimes.

"Hey..." Shepard whispered to her, nudging her in the arm. She looked up at him, and he pointed out the window. "You see that skyscraper off in the distance?" She followed his finer, looked out of the car toward the horizon. A tall tower stood out among the shorter buildings, well lit and giving off a beautiful light. Tali looked back at her boyfriend and nodded. "That's where we're going. Gardens of Nos Astra is on the hundred and twelfth floor, and we've got a balcony table."

She bit her lip and shuddered excitedly. Never before had she been to a place as nice as The Gardens of Nos Astra, she had never been allowed into a nice restaurant or a country club or anything. Sure, she'd been to a few slightly upscale places during her adventures aboard the first _Normandy__, _but that had been only because the owners dared not deny a Spectre the ability to choose his squad, and because they weren't nearly as upscale as the other places she was thinking of. The Gardens of Nos Astra catered to an extremely exclusive clientele... politicians, business owners, stock traders, they all ate there, and she was fairly sure a quarian had never even set foot inside the eatery.

"_Well, I'll be the first..." _She thought, another shudder running through her body. Tonight, she'd be the first quarian to set foot in that restaurant, and it would also be on her first public date with her loving boyfriend. She cuddled back into Shepard's body, wrapping her arms once again around his waist. She placed her helmet against his chest, and made an almost purring sound. She was just so happy. "I love you, John..." She whispered in between purrs.

He smiled visibly at this, and stroked her back, drawing little circular patterns onto her suit. The skyscraper was getting closer by the minute, and part of him never wanted this to end. Part of Shepard just wanted to sit here in this cab, with his quarian beside him, and cuddle until the end of eternity.

"Just a couple more minutes till we get there..." The salarian driver said quietly, trying to be careful not to disturb the couple in the back seat. "You know..." He continued, looking into his rearview mirror. "Don't mean to intrude in your lives or anything, but you two are really cute together."

The two lovers looked into the front seat, meeting the gaze of the driver in the mirror. "Thanks." Shepard said, smiling slightly. He continued drawing small circles into Tali's back, while his smile broadened even further. "I'm the luckiest man in the galaxy."

'That, you are..." Tali cooed, hugging him tightly. "And I'm the luckiest woman in the whole universe."

Shepard chuckled, returning the hug before they returned to a snuggling position. "That, you are." He replied.

The two of them grabbed the sides of the cab as it began to descend, bringing itself to the level it needed to land in the restaurant's parking lot. It gradually slowed over the course of a minute, until it finally set itself down on the metal landing pad, and the doors on each passenger side hissed as they unlocked. "Well, here we are." The driver smiled as he turned around. "That'll be forty-two credits..." He paused as Shepard pressed a few buttons on his omni-tool, then held up his hand. "But I'll tell you what... since I was late, I'll give you a bit of a discount. Thirty will be enough."

The commander looked up at him, and adjusted a few variables on his holographic display. The counter on the taxi's dashboard beeped, signaling the transfer. The driver opened the doors for the couple, and Shepard got out first, extending his hand to help Tali out of the vehicle. She took it gladly, and stepped onto the landing pad, still holding her captain's hand. Shepard turned back to the salarian driver, gave his thanks for the ride, and turned to leave. A sudden yelp of surprise made him stop in his tracks, and he spun around to face the cab once again.

"Sir!" The salarian cried, his eyes not leaving the holographic screen on his counter. "I said thirty credits, you - you gave me thirty hundred!"

"Silly me." Shepard replied, a happy smile on his face. "Sorry, but I don't have time to adjust it. Why don't you keep the change?"

The driver looked shocked, and he could barely close his jaw. "But I - you - thank you, sir! I won't forget this!"

The taxi doors closed, and the vehicle blasted off into the sky. Shepard turned to face his girlfriend, and offered an arm for Tali to take, which she did. They began to walk toward the glass doors that led into the building, and then Tali said something that made him chuckle.

"You enjoyed that reaction, didn't you? From the driver, I mean."

"Yeah." Shepard put his hand over hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Yes, I did."

* * *

They had read the welcome sign in the lobby, and had discovered that they needed to take an elevator to reach the restaurant. There had been few people in the lift, though they all gave strange looks when they saw the tuxedo-clad human holding hands with a quarian of all people. They had all gotten off on various floors, it seemed like they were the only ones headed up to the fancy eatery.

"I'm excited, Shepard." She whispered, and the commander saw the bright gleam in her eyes, even behind her purple visor. They seemed to look like little crescent moons with the arch on the bottom. It gave her face an almost cartoonish look, and he squeezed her hand.

"I'm excited too, baby girl." He kissed the area of her mask near her vocalizer, letting his lips linger there for a moment before retreating his head back to look at her. "It's our first date, and I can't wait!" He fidgeted slightly in his tux. "Just promise me something, will you? Don't buy something cheap. Don't hold back, all right? I want you to buy as much food as you want, and damn the price."

"But Shepard..." She protested, letting go of his hand and crossing her arms. "I don't need all that food..." She said quietly, shaking her head. "Besides, you might need those credits to buy something useful, like a new assault rifle for your missions, or an upgrade for the ship, or..."

The commander put his finger to her vocalizer, shushing her. "I have over five hundred million credits stored away that I made in our fight against Saren." He explained. "I could buy this restaurant if I wanted to. Believe me, it's no trouble." He wrapped his arms around her. "You're going to enjoy yourself tonight, Tali. Captain's orders."

Captain's orders. She had no choice but to obey. Part of her wanted to protest further, but if it wasn't a drain on resources, could it really be that bad? Finally, she gave in and sighed. "All right, Shepard. While I could have fun with a tube of nutrient paste, I will indulge myself. For you, and only you."

"Glad to hear it, love." Shepard responded, bringing one of his hands down to her rear. "And you know, if you're really, really good and you go above and beyond... Maybe I'll reward you with a little extra something tonight."

Tali's heart leaped at the prospect. Any 'reward' from Shepard would be well worth it, indeed. "Ooh..." She said playfully, winking up at him. "I suppose that's an incentive, isn't it?"

"You bet it is, baby girl."

The two closed the distance between them, and Tali put her helmet against his forehead. He put his lips against the bottom of her helmet again, the closest they could get to a kiss... for now. Eventually, they could hear the lift starting to slow as it approached the proper level, and they reluctantly pulled away. "We'll get even closer later..." Shepard smirked, giving a playful smack to her behind. She yelped and rubbed the offended area, glaring up at her lover. He calmed her down by taking her hand and kissing it gently.

"We're here..." He whispered, smiling softly and lovingly. "Let's go eat, love. I'm starving."

* * *

Their dinner was excellent, and so was everything else. Everything in the restaurant spoke extravagance, from the lush carpet to the drapes on the windows. The balcony they had dined on was even better. Although it was outside, the restaurant had small kinetic barrier generators that enclosed the space, allowing only a certain degree of wind to enter, giving the place an almost climate-controlled atmosphere. It also kept insects away, which was always a plus in Shepard's book.

Tali had kept her end of the bargain, as well. She certainly hadn't held back on the food. She had ordered the most expensive and delicious items on the menu, and a lot of them as well. Of course, she had to cut the food up enough so that it fit into her suit's induction port, which took a long while, but it was totally worth it. She had even (reluctantly, of course) shared a glass of wine with Shepard, who was simply curious as to the taste of dextro-oriented alcohol. According to him, it was much sweeter than the wine he drank, and it tasted a lot better. He then, of course, had to excuse himself to the restroom for about ten minutes in the middle of dinner, ancestors only knew what the wine had done to his intestines.

He hadn't complained, though. In fact, when he had returned to the table, the words he had used were 'totally worth it', a phrase that made her snicker, as she was the one who always used it.

They were now headed back to the _Normandy_, both of them full and extremely happy. Tali spent the whole ride back to the ship cuddled up against her boyfriend, arms wrapped happily around his waist and her head pressed against his chest. They even had the same salarian cab driver, who was exceptionally happy to see them, and was very glad that they had a nice time at dinner.

Tali looked up at Shepard, who was staring out of the cab's window off into the distance. "Shepard?" She asked sweetly, causing him to turn to her and smile.

"Yes, love?" He asked tenderly, resting a hand against the side of her mask.

"Do you remember what you said in the elevator?" She whispered into his ear, and Shepard swore he saw the faintest tint of a blush on her cheeks. "Do you remember what you said about a - a reward if I did what you asked?"

The commander's head immediately turned to the driver, and a sense of urgency filled his voice. "Driver, get us back to the docking bay. Speed, I'll pay the ticket if I have to."

The salarian chuckled, and looked back into the mirror. "You got it... just try to find something to hang on to."

And with that, the skycar blasted into the night, leaving the nightlife of the city behind, and only the _Normandy_'s soft bed ahead.

* * *

Chapter End Notes: Well, I hope you guys enjoyed the light ending to this part. Just FYI, there will be a sex scene, just _not in this story. _I'm making a standalone story for it to keep this rated "T". If you want to see it, just go to my profile, and check my stories. You'll find it fairly easily. It'll be called "Passion".

Allons-y!


	5. Reassurances

A/N: Welcome to the fifth chapter of Affection! I'm probably going to let this go for about ten to fifteen chapters, then wrap it up so that I can work on some other stories. Don't think this means that this universe is done, however, for there might be a sequel already in pre-conception stages! Not saying anything more on that, though. At least not for now.

I'd also like to thank Rogen80 and anonymous guest reviewer Beo the Wulf for their contributions via feedback. Your reviews of my story help me make it a little better each time, and for that I express my most sincere gratitude. Thank you.

At any rate, please enjoy this next chapter in the series, and I hope to hear feedback from all of you! Allons-y!

* * *

Reassurances

Written by Alistair Lowary

The bed was comfortable, and Tali loved every single minute she spent in it. And with Shepard at her side, every night's sleep was better than the last. So why was she still awake, staring at the ceiling hours after her lover had fallen into slumber? Her hands fiddled together, her fingers roughly massaging each other. She was nervous about something, though she didn't know what. That was something she hated, when unknown thoughts kept her up at night.

The quarian looked over at her boyfriend, who was snoring quietly. His arms were curled around her, his fingers laced together at the small of her back and hugging her tightly. His eyes were closed, and his expression was one of peace and tranquility. He murmured a few things in his sleep, likely bits and pieces of his dreams.

He was simply wonderful, Tali thought. He was a miracle in her life, someone who had come along two years ago and had saved her from death. He had taken her out on adventures aboard his ship, he had trusted her with his life. And then he had died. A frown crossed her features as she remembered his demise, the attack that had taken him from her. She hadn't even found the courage to hell him how she had felt about her, and then he had just... he had just gone.

But he had returned to her, even after all of that. Even after death, he still managed to come back to her. He had found her on Freedom's Progress, he had helped her rescue her friend. Shepard had even let her take Veetor back to the flotilla, despite the objections from his second-in-command. And his facial expression when she had so coldly refused to accompany him on his mission, that had killed her a little on the inside. It hadn't been anger, or disappointment, or any of those things. It had been sadness, pure and simple.

But then on Haestrom, Shepard had found her again. He had rescued her from near death, had kept her safe. And then they had gone off together, just like it had been in the old days. And then Shepard had told her the words she had waited to hear for the past two years of her life. He loved her. She remembered how shaken she had been at his confession, and how the first thing he had done was embrace her to quiet her tears. He had whispered soothing murmurs into her ear, so lovingly rubbing her back at the same time.

He was just so... so perfect, such a good man. Tali sniffled a little bit. She didn't deserve him, and she knew it. And she was certain it was reciprocal, as well. She did not deserve someone as good as Shepard, and he did not deserve someone as low as her. She couldn't provide him with kids, a family, anything. She couldn't even kiss him when she wanted to, and she knew that he was suffering because of her.

A tear fell down her cheek. She felt guilty. It was irrational, she wanted to believe. Shepard had told her that he'd love her, no matter what. But it seemed to her like he had said that to make her feel better about himself. There was no way he was truly happy with her, he couldn't be. Someone like him deserved someone who could provide for him, someone who could be with him without risk of death or serious illness.

She sobbed silently, shaking ever so slightly. Why did it have to be this way? Why did he let her bring him down like this? Why couldn't he just reject her like she knew he wanted to? "_Damn it, Shepard... why do you have to be so sweet to me, especially when I don't deserve it?"_

Tali could feel movement next to her, and Shepard's arms pulled even more against her, drawing her closer to him. Without any thought, she pushed him away and rolled over onto her side, her back facing her lover. She heard a sharp intake of breath, followed by Shepard sitting up in the bed. A hand rested on her shoulder, and she quickly jerked it away, biting her lip as she did so.

"Tali?" Shepard asked quietly, tentatively. "What's wrong? Are you all right?"

"I'm - I'm fine." She lied, burying her face in the pillow, trying to quiet her sniffles. "I just - never mind, Shepard." She let out a louder sob, and she curled her knees to her chest. She tried to pull the covers over her, trying to hide from the human.

"Please... please don't cry, Tali." Shepard said, concern evident in his voice. "Please... please let me help."

"No!" She cried out, much louder than intentional, as she turned to face him. "No, just... stop helping me! You do too much for me, and I... I can never repay you for all of it!" She lowered her head, crossing her arms across her chest. "You deserve someone who can, Shepard. Make you happy, I mean. I know that you say I make you happy all the time, and you take me out on dates and all, but..." Another sob wracked her body. "But I know I don't really make you happy. You just try to make me happy because you love me, and I can never do the same for you, and..."

"Tali," Shepard replied quietly, touching her cheek gently. "You do make me happy." He cupped the side of her face in his hand and caressed it carefully. "You make me so, so happy. If anything, the things I do for you pale in comparison with the things you do for me!"

She shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks as she sniffled. "That's impossible... I can't touch you during the day, I cannot kiss you when you want me to. I cannot do anything outside of my damn suit for a long time, I have to deny you the things you want most from me, and..."

"No..." Shepard whispered, taking her chin and bringing her head up to look at him. "All of the kissing, the sex... that's not what I want most from you, not at all." He smiled softly. "I want to love you, not just make love to you. Sometimes I just want to stand next to you and hold you in my arms, and I don't need you out of your suit for that." He chuckled, rubbing her arm lovingly. "Besides, you can still get out of your suit once and a while, and that just makes the time we have together that much more intimate."

"So, I really make you happy?" She asked, her voice hopeful and her eyes shining with love.

"More than any woman in the galaxy, Tali." The man pressed his lips to hers, and she savored the feeling. "When I say that I love you, I don't mean I love the sex we have. I do, of course, but it's not what I mean. I love _you. _As a person, not as an object. You are the most beautiful woman I've ever met, and even if I could never see you out of your suit again, my love for you would never change."

She felt as if she were about to cry. Her fears had been pushed aside, and she had been completely comforted by her boyfriend, the man she loved. "John Shepard, I love you too."

The commander smiled, then turned to look at his clock. "Tali, we've got six hours before we've got to get up and get you back in your suit. How about we just sit here and cuddle for a while?"

She beamed, and crawled across the bed to nestle herself in Shepard's arms. He kissed the top of her head, through her raven-black hair. "Promise me you'll never, ever change." She murmured, smiling up at him.

"Only if you can promise the same."

"I think I can manage that."

* * *

Chapter End Notes: Yeah, every story's got to have one of these conversations... I only hope I wrote it to your liking. Feel free to drop off a review! Keelah se'lai!


	6. The Proposal

A/N: THIS IS THE FINAL CHAPTER! Yeah, I know you were expecting something longer, but... I just don't have any more ideas for this story, guys. I hope you enjoy the last part of this one, though, and I hope you're looking forward to the sequel. Allons-y!

* * *

The Proposal

Alistair Lowary

"Tali?" Shepard asked, gently nudging the quarian nestled against him. "Tali, are you awake?"

"Hmph..." She muttered, snuggling deeper into his chest. "A little..." She managed to say before yawning quietly.

"It's time for you to get back into your suit." He motioned toward the clock on his wall. "Your antibiotics are going to wear off shortly."

"Mmm... I don't... I don't want to get up." She protested and wrapped one of her arms around him, sighing happily. "I want to stay here with you forever."

"Tali." The human spoke in a soft but stern voice, and rested his hand on her shoulder. She opened one eye to look at him, brow raised inquisitively. "The longer you stay out of your suit, the longer it'll be before we can get you out of it again."

She remained silent for a minute before she finally sighed. "Fine, fine... you little bosh'tet." She spoke in a teasing voice, raising her head and brushing aside her raven hair. "You know exactly what to say, Shepard."

"What can I say? I'm the Paragon of Humanity." He chuckled and got up with her, reaching down for a piece of her suit. "Y'know, I swear one of these days I'm gonna learn how to help you put this on."

Tali bit her lower lip, giving her best seductive look. "I think I'd prefer it if you were to learn how to take it off first."

Shepard raised both eyebrows. "Ooh... yes, ma'am." He smirked.

The two of them got dressed in silence after that, and it understandably took Tali a lot longer to put her suit on than it took for Shepard to don his uniform. Eventually, they were both finished.

"Hey, Tali?" Shepard asked, stepping toward her.

"Hm?" She spun to face him, smiling as always.

"I was wondering... is there a..." He stopped suddenly, realizing something. There was no way to ask this casually. "Tali... is there a quarian custom regarding... marriage?"

She shook her head for a moment. "I don't think I know that word, Shepard. What does it mean?"

He sighed deeply, and took her into his arms. "Marriage is when two people... join together. Not sexually, just... spiritually, like..."

"You mean like a bonding ceremony?" Tali asked, and after a singular moment, her eyes widened. "Keelah, Shepard. Are you asking me to... bond with you?"

"Well, I..." He rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I suppose I am."

Tali didn't move. She just stood there, her hands at her sides. After what seemed like an eternity, her entire body began to shake. "Y... Yes, Shepard!" She squealed at the top of her lungs, flinging herself at her boyfriend. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you!"

They remained like that for at least ten minutes, holding each other while Tali sobbed into Shepard's chest. He knew that they could never be married, not while the Reapers were still a threat. But maybe after, they could find a place to settle down together. And if there was one thing he was certain of, it was that they _would _survive the trials to come. Because they loved each other, and that was all that mattered.

_FIN_

* * *

Hey, guys. Let me clear up a few things here. I wrote this entire damn thing while suffering from writer's block. So if you think the writing was bad, just remember... this was honestly the best I could do. At any rate, please leave a review, and be sure to follow me for a notification of when the sequel's up. Keelah se'lai!


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